The Trowmans Hole
Richard Jenkins owned a colliery at Glan-y-Wern and built a canal along the western edge of Crymlyn Bog, extending eastward to connect with the River Neath at Trowman’s Hole (now called Red Jacket Pill). This canal enabled boats to transport coal across the River Neath to the coal wharves at Giants Grave.
Jenkins secured the lease to build the colliery from Lord Vernon on August 14, 1788, but tragically died that same day. His partner, Edward Elton, took over the operation, and the canal was completed by 1790. The canal remained in use for approximately 20 years. Unfortunately, Elton went bankrupt and passed away in 1810.
The Copper Industry at the Red Jacket Pill – Neath Times’s post
No direct connection to the river was established; instead, a termination basin was constructed for unloading barges, with cargo then transferred to ships for crossing the river.
Between 1817 and 1818, George Tennant acquired the Glan-y-wern Canal and, alongside his engineer William Kirkhouse, refurbished it by adding an entrance lock. This barge lock allowed vessels up to 61 tonnes to leave the River Neath and travel to Swansea via the canal. Consequently, the original Glan-y-wern Canal was transformed into two branches off the Tennant Canal.
After enduring significant delays caused by coal barons and the Neath Canal company, who postponed constructing a lock on the Briton Ferry side, Tennant decided to extend the canal from Red Jacket Pill through Neath Abbey to Aberdulais instead.
South Wales Daily News
September 13, 1892
Sad Case of Drowning.
An inquest was held on Monday at the Red Jacket Cottages on the body of a boy, nearly four years old, named Thomas James Morgan, son of Benjamin Morgan, labourer on the canal. It seemed that the boy was playing near the house, which is situated between two branches of the canal, and fell in on Thursday evening and was drowned. The jury found a verdict of Accidentally drowned.” ANNIVERSARY SERVICES.— The anniversary services of the English Baptist Church were held on Sunday and Monday evening, when the Rev E. Rowe Evans, Merthyr, officiated. The meetings were well attended and the collections good.
National Library of Wales.
The Brecon County Times
October 23, 1869
Fatal Accident at Briton Ferry.
An inquest was held on Monday at Briton Ferry, on the body of a seaman named Philip Cundy.
It appeared from the evidence of Captain Scantleburg, master of the schooner Thomas, that he was taking the usual steps to put his vessel into the Red Jacket Pill, and the deceased went out on the bowprit to furl the jib, the wind blowing very strong at the time.
A man named Wilcox went to assist him. In a few moments Wilcox called out that Cundy was overboard, and the mate at once put off in a boat to look after him. He sank, however, at once, and his body was found on Saturday evening with a large mark on the back of the head, caused, it appears, by his head coming in contact with the slag lining of the pill. Wilcox gave corroborative evidence; and the jury returned a verdict in accordance with the evidence.
National Library of Wales. Archive
South Wales Echo
August 31, 1886
Singular Case of Drowning at Briton Ferry.
On Monday evening, at the Half-way Inn, Port Tennant, an inquest was held before Mr H. Cuthbertson, coroner, on’ the body of William Fish lock, who was found drowned in the Tennant Canal, near the Red Jacket Copper Works.
The deceased was in the employ of George Govertt as labourer or haulier, and he left his employer’s house between eight and nine o’clock on Sunday night on horseback, with the supper for his master’s son, who was working at the copper works.
There is a railway bridge over the canal, and it was thought that the horse got shy and jumped into the canal with deceased on his back.
The horse was found very wet on the canal bank and the body of the deceased was picked up by Mr John Davies, Red Jacket, about 12 o’clock on Sunday night. The jury returned a verdict of Found drowned.
National Library of Wales Archive
The Western Mail
September 13, 1890
The Fatal Accident at Neath.
Mr. Howel Cuthbertson (county coroner) held an inquest at the Town-hall, Neath, on Friday into the circumstances attending the death of the two men, Smith and Waite, who were killed on Thursday by the overturning of a loaded coal train near the Red Jacket Works, its reported in the Western Mail. A verdict of Accidental death” was re- turned.
National Library of Wales Archive